


Four Times Luka Couffaine Riled Up Marinette Dupain-Cheng (And The One Time She Returned The Favor)

by Snugglebuttkitten



Series: The Most Beautiful Melody [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Marinette never met Luka, Post Hawkmoth, Post-Canon, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23422165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snugglebuttkitten/pseuds/Snugglebuttkitten
Summary: She was convinced she was being stalked by the blue-haired devil. From the moment she first laid eyes on Luka Couffaine, she couldn't stop thinking about him. And he kept popping up in her life!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: The Most Beautiful Melody [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/986736
Comments: 77
Kudos: 262





	1. Not Another Song About Love

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I'll Never Not Know You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22349626) by [Quickspinner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quickspinner/pseuds/Quickspinner). 



> Inspired by Quickspinner and their truly amazing series of Lukanette AUs
> 
> Also by Sanj and Nino on Discord who pitched and helped me develop the idea.
> 
> The Titles are all songs (really awesome ones) and I recommend giving them a listen. I'll add a complete songlist in the notes of the final chapter with their singers. Only the last 2 chapters are genuine songfics though.

The first time Marinette Dupain-Cheng met Luka Couffaine, she was having a pretty shit day. It all started that morning, when she failed to awaken to the sound of her alarms. Marinette had always had a difficult time waking up in the morning. Her teenage years moonlighting as a superhero and fighting frequent late night Akumas (because of course Supervillains couldn’t abide by a typical nine to five schedule), had made her a bit of an insomniac. On the one hand, it worked out because she usually had her best ideas in the middle of the night and would spend hours locked in a designing frenzy, sleep the furthest thing from her mind as she powered through any number of projects that her teachers had assigned. On the other hand, it made waking up at the asscrack of dawn for school extremely difficult. Which is why she had no less than twenty-six alarms keyed into her phone, starting at five in the morning and placed at frequent intervals until seven in the morning when she absolutely had to be up.

Marinette woke up on that particular morning at seven-forty-five, exactly fifteen minutes before the literal biggest exam of her entire life. In a word, she was screwed. Her shriek of panic preceded a frenzy of movement as she scrambled to get dressed and out the door, hailing the first cab she saw to get her to school on time. It was an expense she could barely afford as is and a luxury she normally wouldn’t have bothered with since her school was only a thirty minute walk away and it was a pleasant and scenic route. Drastic times called for drastic measures, however, and it was her only hope of making it to class before her teacher locked the door and the exam began. Since this counted towards a third of her final grade, failure was not an option. She was nearing the end of her sophomore year, and with Junior Year came a wealth of Internship opportunities. Naturally, the biggest fashion houses in Paris like _Emilie, Clair De Lune_ , and _Style Queen_ would only accept students of the highest caliber. Well-rounded students who had flawless grades, good rapport with their teachers and fellow students, and an excellent aptitude for designing.

Despite her frequent tardiness, her teachers loved her and she was confident in her abilities as a designer. She had, after all, made or personalized all of her clothes since she was ten and had made numerous gifts for friends over the years that were well received. Her Instagram and Youtube Channels were exceedingly popular, and her Etsy shop often had a plethora of custom order requests for her to fill in her limited free time. _Lucky Lady Designs_ , as she had dubbed her brand, was quickly rising in popularity and she had been interviewed several times so her face was fairly well-known to those who followed the world of fashion. And she knew there were a few smaller fashion houses gunning to give her an internship on merit alone. Even _Style Queen’s_ founder, Audrey Bourgeois, had made her interest in the nineteen year old known. Hell, Audrey had tried to snap her up when she was still in middle school, offering a 14-year-old Marinette an internship in New York after one of her hats was featured in a _Gabriel_ fashion show. Marinette would be lying if she said that she hadn’t been tempted, but she had been dealing with Hawkmoth at the time and besides, _Gabriel_ had been the dream. It still was, now that Adrien had taken over the company and rebranded it after his late mother, Emilie Agreste.

But that was all neither here nor there because she would be lucky to get the bottom of the barrel pick if she missed this Exam. The cab pulled up in front of the quad and Marinette practically tossed the bills at the cabbie, uttering an apology as she all but bolted from the vehicle and booked it up the familiar path, crashing through the door of her class a nanosecond before the final bell sounded. A few chuckles scattered around the room but she ignored them and her teacher’s knowing look as she straightened herself up and made her way towards her seat with as much dignity as she could muster. It wasn’t until five minutes later that she realized she had left her sketchbook and all of her stuff back at her apartment in her haste to get to school.

Despite the morning’s blunder, the exam did seem to go off without further issue. She borrowed a pencil from her irritated tablemate, offering a meek thank you before turning to the exam placed before her. The exam itself was fairly easy, a few questions in there meant to trick or trip her up giving her no more than a moments’ pause before she answered them with confidence. Marinette left that class with her head held high and her borrowed pencil stuck through the messy bun she had thrown her long hair into that morning, making her way towards her second class of the day. Unfortunately, it was a Monday so she wasn’t entirely surprised when the day took no more pity on her than it had that morning.

First some idiot nearly ran her over during lunch because he was goofing off with his girlfriend’s Vespa and forgot how to use the breaks. She barely made it out of there unscathed, only to have her coffee spilled all over her favorite blouse fifteen minutes later by an errant frisbee. If that weren’t bad enough, she then found herself being chased several blocks on her walk home by some random stray dog that apparently took offense to her ensemble and decided to try and rip the backside of her skirt before she was able to get away by ducking into a building and waiting until he lost interest. Luckily some kind soul saw her predicament and gave her his hoodie to tie around her waist, saving her the indignity of walking the rest of the way home with her ladybug panties on full display.

Finally home, Marinette peeled off her clothes and flopped onto her bed with a groan. Her bed, a plush queen-size pillow top, felt heavenly and she wanted nothing more than to crawl beneath the covers and never come back out. But again, luck was just not on her side today because after ten minutes of melting into a puddle half on and half off the bed in only her matching Ladybug undergarments, her phone rang. Whining in protest, she debated just not picking up before dismissing that idea. For all she knew, it could be something important! Grasping blindly towards where she had left her phone that morning, she hit the accept button and pressed the phone to her ear.

“ _Hrrow_?” She spoke with her face still pressed into her mattress, causing the word to come out almost unintelligible.

“Marinette? Oh, no! Don’t tell me you’re sick too!” The frantic voice on the other end was just enough to get her to lift her head and squint at the too-bright screen of her phone. Of course it was work. She considered telling her boss that yes, she was sick, but that would be a lie and she had dealt with enough liars in the past for one lifetime. She wasn’t about to become one now.

“No, Barry. I’m not sick, just having a rough day,” she said, her voice clear now that it wasn’t coming from a layer of plush.

“Oh, good,” Barry said in relief, before backtracking quickly. “I mean, not _good_ good! Just good that you aren’t sick. I’m sorry you had a bad day,” he rambled, and for the first time all day a small but genuine smile crept over her face. Barry reminded her a lot of herself when she was younger and faced with her former crush, Adrien Agreste. Not that he had a crush on her, the man was flamboyantly gay and was hopelessly in love with his Fiancée. But Barry possessed that same kind of nervous energy that she once had, that inability to sit still, the need to constantly be doing or working on something. They were kindred spirits, she and him.

“Barry, Barry, _breath_ ,” she chuckled, “I get what you mean.”

“Right, of course you do. You always understand me, Mari. It’s why you’re my best employee!” Barry responded cheerfully. “But anyway, the reason I called was because Nathaniel and Marc are both sick, and Joshua has that award ceremony tonight that I really wanted to go to. So I was _hoping_ …” he trailed off and Marinette didn’t need to be there to imagine his hopeful puppy dog eyes. He had used them on her enough times since she started working for him during high school that they were burned into the back of her retina.

“Okay, okay. I’ll be right in,” she gave in without a fight. No matter how much she resisted, Barry was a master at wheedling her down until she eventually gave into him. Besides, he would reward her handsomely the next time she saw him with some gift or another. It always varied, from gift cards to bolts of fabric to new sketchbooks. Either way, the gift was always something thoughtful and well-appreciated although she had told him time and again that he didn’t need to buy her things when he was already paying her well above what most baristas in France were making.

“Oh, thank you, Marinette! I promise I will make it up to you,” Barry gushed excitedly. Before she could reiterate that he really didn’t have to do that, the line went dead and Marinette reluctantly dragged herself up and into the shower. While it couldn’t erase the horrors of that day, the shower did plenty rejuvenate her and make her feel a little bit more like a human being. The cafe didn’t have an official uniform outside of their apron, but their colors were baby pink and brown so Marinette donned a baby pink skater dress that fell to her knees, tying the half-apron around her neck and securing a couple of pink pens into the pocket that read _Pretty in Pink Coffeehouse_. A pair of lacy white tights and some pink flats and she was heading out the door.

Despite the feminine name and color scheme, it was a popular haunt for the local university students because it actually had a down to earth vibe. A decent sized brick building, the inside sported lowlights and good music that ranged from nearly unknown local bands to more popular music from artists like Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale. The weekly Open Mic nights they did on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays were also wildly popular and always brought in a fascinating crowd. Plus the food and coffee were superb and the staff was always personable and friendly. Marinette breezed through the door at half-past six, hair affixed into two little buns atop her head with pink ribbons tied around them. It was a cute and stylish way of keeping her long midnight locks under control.

Barry swept her up into a hug the moment she stepped into the small crew room in the back to store her bag. _Pretty in Pink Coffeehouse_ was open until two am, later on Open Mic nights, and she would likely work until then. Most of the crowds would die down around ten tonight, since there was no Open Mic, so she would pass the time sketching new designs. Barry left moments after she arrived, leaving Marinette in charge for the night. It was just her and two others tonight, thanks for the call outs, but that was okay. Tonight wouldn’t be busy and Barry often joked that Marinette was able to maintain the work of three people without slowing down or getting stressed. She liked to attribute that to her late night design sessions when she would work on multiple projects at once.

The first few hours were pretty standard. The dinner rush came and went, the number of customers dwindling down until only a few remained scattered amongst the couches and tables as they typed on computers or proof-read assignments. Marinette had already done most of the basic cleaning in between customers, and the heavy cleaning would have to wait until they locked up. She was manning the counter, sketchbook spread out before her with the beginning of a sketch starting to take place on the page. Her honorary Uncle, Jagged Stone, was going to be back in town next month from his most recent tour. The Rock Legend had been commissioning items from her here and there since she was fourteen, when she had made him his trademark Eiffel Tower glasses and designed his album cover for one of his CDs. He had reached out to her a few days expressing interest in her creating a jacket for him to wear on his next tour.

She was thinking leather, one sleeve ripped at the shoulder, but he had left the entire design up to her given how well she ‘got’ him, so she was still trying to determine the color and the design of the jacket. Overall, it would need to be something truly Rock n’ Roll to impress Jagged Stone. The guy prided himself on being as eccentric and untamed as possible. No one’s style could come close to what his was, but that is what made the project fun. Now, however, she found herself blocked. It was likely due to her crazy and stressful day, but while she had a million and one ideals a few days ago, now she was pretty much a blank slate. Nibbling on her pencil’s erasure, she tilted her head back and forth as she tried to determine whether Studs, or maybe even spikes, would be Rock n’ Roll enough for Jagged. She could call him, but the man _had_ to go and make things difficult by asking her to surprise him. _I’m just a design student; there is a limit to my abilities. If you weren’t so bloody conniving I'd tell you to design your own damn jacket. Arrogant, egotistical, eccentric, high maintenance son of a-_

“Damn, who pissed in your cheerios?” 

The voice startled Marinette out of her thoughts and she jolted, leaping back and shrieking in surprise. A pair of bright blue eyes watched her, equal parts surprised and amused at her reaction. Face slowly flushing, it was with a sense of alarm and dread that Marinette realized she might have spoken her thoughts aloud. And while Jagged Stone might understand that she truly adored him and her talking smack about him was only her letting off steam and she would never actually mean anything bad she said about him, a total stranger might think her deranged and on the verge of murdering some hapless soul. “I… I beg your pardon?” She asked, blinking owlishly up at the man and hoping against hope that she hadn’t actually been speaking aloud. His smirk kind of dashed those hopes.

“I’m just wondering if I need to hide the pitchforks and torches. You sound like you’re about to go on a rampage,” he said conversationally. “Tell me, who’s the unlucky bastard who pissed you off, Princess? An ex boyfriend, perhaps?”

Marinette bristled, irrationally irritated by this man’s presence all of a sudden. Maybe it was her bad day talking, or maybe it was the way he spoke to her with a familiarity that belied the fact that they were strangers, but he was seriously rubbing her the wrong way. “Not that it's any of your business, but I’m talking about my Uncle. And my name is _not_ Princess,” she spoke tersely, back straight and shoulders tense beneath his cerulean gaze.

“Do you kiss your _Maman_ with that mouth? What did your Uncle do to deserve such wrath?” He was laughing at her. She could see it in his eyes, the quirk of his lips, the light shaking of his shoulders.

“Are you here to order something, because I’m kind of busy,” she said shortly.

“Yes, I can tell. Cursing your Uncle must be very time consuming,” he nodded sagely. Marinette narrowed her blue eyes at him, jaw clenching, and harrumphed in displeasure.

“Cleo!” She barked without removing her glare from the stranger. “Take the counter, I’m going on break.” She didn’t wait for her coworker to agree, snatching up her sketchpad and stalking off. The sound of the man’s quiet laughter followed her long after she had left him behind.


	2. In Case You Didn't Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a bit tricky for the heroine of our story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This... this was not where I intended for this chapter to go. I had this cute idea of Luka saving Marinette from a runaway cart or a speeding car and instead we get... whatever the fluff this is.

The second time that Marinette Dupain-Cheng encountered Luka Couffaine, she wasn’t even at work. This would later convince her that he was stalking her. It was Saturday, one of Marinette’s only free days during the week. Given her heavy schedule at University, she tended to work Tuesday thru Friday at the coffeehouse, taking the weekend to unwind and recuperate from a hectic week. Normally she would spend her days at home, working on commissions or personal projects while binging copious amounts of Netflix. Today, however, it was a beautiful day and the need to get out and enjoy herself was irresistible. She dressed for the weather, a simple baby blue sundress that fell to her knees and was cinched at the waist with a thin white belt, and strappy white sandals that showed off the deep pink of her nail polish from the last Spa day she had with Alya and the rest of their friends. She left her hair down, the ends curled so that it bounced around her when she moved.

With her small clasp purse and a small backpack containing her sketchpad and art supplies, she set off for the day. She had no destination in mind, simply enjoying the sun and the beauty of her home. She loved Paris and honestly couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Sure, the idea of living in New York when she was younger had been appealing but now? She was happy here, among the cobbled walkways and the ancient architecture and the adorable shop fronts. She might enjoy visiting New York, but while Paris was busy, New York was its own brand of chaos. She eventually ended up in her old neighborhood and figured she would stop by and visit her parents. _Tom and Sabine’s Boulangerie Patisserie_ looked the same as always. Quaint, adorable, and homey. The little bell jingled cheerily as she stepped inside. The bakery was busy, as it typically was Saturday mornings, but Marinette easily navigated her way through the crowd until she was near the front counter. One of the few perks of being so small.

“Morning, Maman!” She greeted enthusiastically, startling the older Chinese woman who was manning the cash register. A wide grin blossomed on the woman’s face, her current customer momentarily forgotten as she opened her arms to her daughter.

“Marinette! What a pleasant surprise,” she said, enfolding her daughter in a fierce hug before releasing her. “What brings you here?”

“Enjoying the sun and figured I would stop in,” Marinette explained with a bright smile. Sabine turned back to her customer to finish ringing him up, while Marinette grabbed her apron from the hook and tied it on. She hadn’t helped out here in months, but the monogrammed apron she had made herself when she was twelve still hung in the same spot. Given the fact that she had barely grown since then, the apron was still a perfect fit. Once her hands were washed and gloved, she began to box and bag orders as they were placed, ensuring the work went twice as fast as it normally did. Working in tandem with her parents was as natural as breathing. She had been helping out in the bakery since she was three and had worked there a few times a week through most of middle and high school before branching out and taking the job at _Pretty in Pink_. The rush went by quickly between the two of them and Marinette was wiping down the counters after the final customer, her mom having stepped into the back to help her father, when the bell above the door jingled once more.

“Hi, welcome to Tom and Sabine’s! How may I help-” the words died on her tongue as she lifted her bluebell gaze and found _him_ staring at her with a look of surprise. The blue-haired devil who had plagued her thoughts since she first laid eyes on him. She supposed it must be his looks. Certainly his personality left much to be desired. But from a certain standpoint, the man before her was extremely attractive. Tall, lean, well-muscled but not bulky. His hair was a tad longer than most guys wore it, shaggy and black with bright blue tips that fell into equally blue eyes. He had olive skin and was wearing a tight white shirt, low-slung hip hugging jeans and a tattered blue hoodie. A guitar case was slung across his back. As she stared, dumbfounded, a slow grin overtook his face making him even more handsome… and more irritating.

“Princess! Fancy meeting you here,” he said brightly, strolling up to the counter with the grace and self-assuredness of a feline. Marinette stiffened, eyes narrowing in annoyance.

“That is not my name,” she growled, crossing her arms over her chest. This only served to draw his gaze briefly towards said chest and she dropped her arms with an indignant huff. His answering smile was cheeky, boyish, and unrepentant. _Cute_ , her traitorous brain supplied.

“Well then, what might I address her royal highness as?” He asked, leaning against the counter and looking up at her from beneath his bangs. She glared, unwilling to allow herself to notice how damn cute he was. He knew it too, if the way his smile widened slightly was any indication.

“If you must know, my name is-”

“Marinette!” The bellowing tone of her father had both of them jumping out of their skin, but then Marinette’s scowl morphed into a brilliant grin and she spun to face her father right before his arms engulfed her and he lifted her clear off her feet.

“ _Papa_ , put me down!” She shrieked, though she was laughing all the while. He did eventually put her down, his own laughter booming in the small bakery.

“It has been far too long, _mon cherie_ , how have you been? How are classes? You’re knocking their socks off, right?” He asked excitedly.

“I’m good, doing my best. It’s hard but I’ll reach my goals no doubt,” she said confidently.

“That’s my girl. The Dupain-Cheng spirit is strong in this one, aye Sabine?” He said, finally taking notice of the boy standing at the counter. “Ah, Luka! I didn’t even notice you there.”

“H-hey, Mr. Dupain,” Luka said, gaze bouncing between Marinette and the huge man in confusion.

“None of that. I told you, call me Tom. Have you met my beautiful daughter, Marinette? She’s a fashion student at Esmod,” he boasted, pushing the girl in question forward. She looked equally confused now, looking between her father and the blue-haired devil. The sudden smirk on his face really ought to have warned her, but she still balked at the next words that came out of his mouth.

“Oh yeah, me and Mari go way back! In fact, I’m here to pick her up,” he said cheerfully, before leaning in and cupping one hand around his mouth conspiratorially. In a stage whisper he added, “we have a date.”

Marinette started choking on air while Tom and Sabine started cooing and demanding to know how they had met and how long they had been going out. Marinette was wheezing, staring wide-eyed at the boy who had the audacity to _wink_ at her as if he hadn’t just lied to her parents about a nonexistent date. Oh she was going to murder him when she managed to breath again. She was going to drown him in the Seine. She was going to-

“Well, we shouldn’t keep you waiting. You kids have a great day!” Tom said, his large hands suddenly propelling his daughter forward. A little shove and she stumbled right into Luka’s waiting arms. His hands, gripping her upper arms lightly to steady her, should not have felt that warm against her bare skin. It felt like he was branding her with his touch.

“Thanks, Tom! Thanks, Sabine! It’s always a pleasure,” Luka called as he guided her out of the shop and towards the park across the street. They were entering the park by the time she got her equilibrium back and stopped dead, slamming her elbow into Luka’s gut. He wheezed, releasing her to clutch at his stomach and gave her a wounded look. “What was that for?”

“What was that for!? You- You- You pompous ass!” She snapped, crossing her arms and glaring at him angrily. “Where do you get off lying to my parents like that? We don’t know each other, and we are certainly not going on a date!”

“Geez, Princess. Does Sabine know how vulgar your vocab is?” He teased, flinching and holding his hands up in surrender when she raised a fist as if to hit him again. Dropping her hand with a huff, she spun away and began to make her way back towards the entrance of the park. He barely had to jog to catch up. “Where are you going?”

“Home!” She snapped, pausing to glare at him. “Don’t follow me.”

“Why are you going home? What about our date?” He asked, pouting. Marinette blinked at him, seriously wondering if he was mentally unstable. He couldn’t honestly believe that she would ever go out with someone as infuriating as him.

“There is no date! You made that up!” She threw her hands up in frustration.  


“Okay, then will you go on a date with me?” Luka asked, flashing that boyish grin that did things to her. She stared at him dumbfounded and then shook her head.

“You’re seriously deranged.” 

“Ouch, that seems a little harsh, Princess.”

“Don’t call me Princess.”

“I’ll stop calling you that if you go on a date with me,” he offered, that same boyish grin curving her lips. Marinette stared at him hard, silently questioning why she was even remotely considering his offer. A part of her was tempted though, and it had nothing to do with that stupid nickname and everything to do with the weird pull she felt for him.

“This is coercion,” she finally said, pressing her lips into a hard line. “Probably blackmail as well.”

“I’m not hearing a no,” Luka said, his smile widening to Cheshire proportions.

“It’s not a date,” she finally decided. “This is me, hanging out with you against my will, so that you drop the nickname.”

“I’ll take it,” Luka said, ocean blue eyes shining with excitement. Marinette sighed, resigning herself to her fate for the day while resolutely ignoring the little flutter she felt in her chest when he looked at her that way. “Shall we?” He held out a hand expectantly and she scoffed.

“I’m not holding your hand on this non-date,” she said. Luka didn’t seem to mind too much, shrugging and dropping his hand. Beckoning her, he led her further into the park with a skip in his step, while she trudged reluctantly after him.

Marinette hated to admit it, but she was actually having a lot of fun on their non-date. Apparently there was a carnival going on in the park that day. The usual carousel was joined by game and food booths and a few other pop up rides, including a ferris wheel. It smelled heavenly, the air scented with caramel apples and churros and chili cheese fries. Luka, she found, was a total kid at heart. For all that he appeared outwardly suave and confident, he was just as excited as the little kids running around. They started with the game booths, and while Marinette had tried to retain her grumpiness, it was hard to do while watching a handsome young man light up like a firework display while throwing a ball at pins, or trying to pop balloons with a dart, or spraying a water gun at moving clown faces. By the time they were onto their fourth game, she was laughing as much as he was, wrinkling her nose in mock annoyance when she completely schooled her at the hoops game.

“I didn’t expect you to be good at a sport,” she admitted, sounding a bit breathless from laughter as they walked side by side towards the next booth.

“I’m hurt, Mari, truly,” he gasped, pressing one hand against his chest and causing her giggles to start anew. “Who's to say I wasn’t the star player on my school’s basketball team?”

“You could have been, you’re certainly tall enough. But you have that whole,” she gestured towards him as she considered her words, “brooding artist thing going on.”

“Oh? Well, I guess you’re pretty spot on. Here, let me do you,” he said, twisting around so that he was walking backward right in front of her. He considered her as she watched him, a smirk on her face and amusement in her bluebell eyes. “You were probably the most popular girl in school. Adored by your peers, always trying to help others with school work, projects and the like. Everyone loved you, everyone wanted to be you, but they could never quite achieve your level of brilliance. You were obviously artistic, if you’re a fashion designer, probably made your entire wardrobe, too. But you weren’t the brooding artist type. No, you shone far too brightly to ever be considered brooding. No, you were bright and warm like the sun. Or maybe a Star. I'm guessing sweet, too. Ten times as sweet as the pastries your parents sell, but with a fire in your heart as hot as their ovens,” he said softly. Marinette hadn’t realized they had stopped, eyes locked on his and lips slightly parted in surprise. “You were probably very insecure, though. Even with all the love and attention people gave you, you would always second guess yourself,” his hand lifted, fingers lightly tracing her cheek and his eyes never once left hers. They were so deep, so intensely and endlessly blue. He swallowed, leaning closer until his nose brushed hers and their breath mingled. “You still have the most beautiful heart song I’ve ever heard, _Petite Souris_ ,” he whispered. 

Marinette breathed in, the air seeming to stutter in her lungs, and suddenly jerked back. Her face flamed and her heart felt like it was trying to find its way through her throat. Those words seemed to resonate in her heart, so achingly familiar were they. It couldn’t be him, and yet there was only one person she knew who called her that and only one person who had ever spoken to her with that kind of passion and poetry. “I- I have to go,” she said abruptly. Spinning on her heels and racing out of the park. She heard Luka calling out to her, but she didn’t slow down and she didn’t look back. She had left her life as a heroine behind when she took off her Miraculous, refusing to reveal her identity to even Chat Noir. She was the Guardian, after all, and she needed to ensure the Miraculous remained safe. Now, there was at least one person who may or may not know her identity. This was not good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know what you think!


	3. Paper Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Memories have a funny way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHO PUT THIS ANGST IN WITH MY FLUFFY SHENANIGANS!?

_“You’re late, ma petite souris,” the boy said, not looking up from where he was leaning against the wall plucking a random tune on his Lyre. A huff of annoyance sounds from directly above his head before a shadow passes over him and a girl sets down directly in front of him. Multimouse grins widely as she faces the boy, her pink and gray suit and mouse-ear buns as cute as always._  


_“_ _What gave me away this time?” She asked, cocking her head curiously as he continued to play a nonsensical tune. Fingers never faltering the boy finally lifted his bright yellow snake eyes and a subdued smile curved his lips._  


_“You underestimate yourself, Petit Souris. You have a presence unlike any I’ve ever felt before,” he said, fingers began to pluck out a tune that was becoming as familiar as her own heartbeat. “You have the most unique song inside of you. I’ve heard it rise to the highest of heights, and I’ve felt it crash to the lowest depths of despair. I’ve felt passion and anger that burn as hot as molten lava, and I’ve experienced a compassion and gentleness as soft as a summer’s breeze.”_  


_“Viperion,” she murmured, eyes wide and lips parted slightly. He glanced up at her with a smile from the fall of his shaggy blue-tipped black hair. Hair she knew from experience was silky smooth when she had run her fingers through it._  


_“I’ve felt your joys, your sorrows, the way it hits a crescendo when you laugh, how it stutters and skips when you’re embarrassed. It’s expressive and open, like you,” his fingers finally stopped on the instrument, clipping it to his hip before reaching out for her hand. Multimouse allowed herself to be drawn in, pressing against his warm chest as she tilted her chin up to smile at him. His answering smile was soft, affectionate, and she was thunderstruck by how much love and adoration she saw in his unique eyes. Love and adoration that she was sure was reflected in her own. When she had first met Viperion, she had been suspicious. She trusted Master Fu’s judgement, but it felt weird to have a permanent member joining the Cat and Bug Team, one that she didn’t know and hadn’t picked out. ‘Ladybug’ had decided to assign Multimouse to watch the new hero, to partner with him temporarily until she could be certain his intentions were honorable. He would be more likely, after all, to show his true colors towards what he believed was an inexperienced newbie than to two experienced holders._  


_Viperion had proved himself to be a gentleman, and long after Ladybug realized she could trust him, she continued to patrol with him as Multimouse. She couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment that their playful banter and games and easy camaraderie and their casual flirting shifted into love. Unlike her crush on Adrien, which had come on hard and fast and sudden, her love for Viperion had snuck up on her. It was all the little things that he did. The way he teased her, how he was always willing to play his Lyre for her when she asked, how protective he was and how he described her heart song. That was probably it. Viperion was always so soft, subdued, and gentle… but when he spoke of her heart song, his voice burned with an underlying passion and conviction that spoke to her on a whole other level._  


_His lips brushed teasingly against the corner of her mouth and his chuckles vibrated against her as she growled softly with impatience. He took his time though, never rushing as he ensured she felt every last ounce of the love he felt for her. His lips brushed the other corner of her mouth, then her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids, her forehead. Finally they brushed hers in a chaste kiss that had her huffing her frustrations. When he started to pull back, she curled a hand around his neck and pushed up on her toes so that her mouth sealed over his more firmly. His chuckle at her impatience died and was replaced with a soft moan of approval. Kissing Viperion was like coming home. He was her first real kiss, since she wasn’t counting the Dark Cupid or Oblivio incidents with Chat Noir. One had been to break a spell, the other she didn’t even remember how or why it had come to pass. But this… she had chosen this, had actually been the one to make the first move since Viperion had been too much of a gentleman to do so. They eventually broke apart, breathing slightly ragged from kisses that had slowly been starting to deepen, and a goofy smile reflected on both of their faces as they looked at one another._  


_“I love you, Petit Souris,” he murmured._  


_“I love you more,” she countered playfully. His laughter reverberated through her and made her heart sing with joy._  


_“Impossible, I love you more than there are stars in the Universe,” he retorted._  


_“Hm, you wanna race to the Eiffel Tower for it? Winner clearly loves the other more?” She challenged, and Viperion felt his own heart start to harmonize with her own. He truly did love her, more than he ever thought he could possibly love another._  


_“Okay but you can’t-” he began, but her excited voice cut him off._  


_“OneTwoThree, Go!” She said, whipping out the jump rope tail he hadn’t noticed her undoing from her waist. It wrapped around a gargoyle a couple buildings over and with a mock salute, she was gone._  


_“-cheat,” he finished ruefully, shaking his head in amusement. His little mouse was a cheeky one, but he loved her all the more for it and with a whoop that belied his normally subdued nature, he quickly took off after her, their laughter ringing out loud and clear over the rooftops._

_Multimouse sighed as she sat atop Notre Dame, looking out at the city that spread out before her. By this time tomorrow, Team Miraculous would assemble and the battle of their lives would commence. Hawkmoth’s identity had been confirmed, and they intended on taking the fight to him. To Gabriel Agreste. God, it felt so bizarre to think that Gabriel Agreste, her fashion Idol and the father of one of her closest friends, was also the man who had been terrorizing Paris for the better part of three years. Chat Noir had promised to sneak in before they met up and get the Model to a safe place before they attacked. She didn’t want him caught in the crossfires, and she certainly didn’t want to risk Hawkmoth akumatizing his own son in a last ditch effort to save his skin. This was a mess. A huge mess. She wanted to cry at the unfairness of it all, both for Adrien’s benefit and her own. She had looked up to this man for years. Sure, his parenting tactics sucked and she had wanted to give him a piece of her mind for quite some time in that regard, but as an aspiring fashion designer she had always hoped to tutor under the cold and indifferent man. She could learn so much from someone like him._  


_But this man, this monster had robbed her of her youth, her innocence, her very childhood. She was seventeen. She should be worrying about what to wear for her senior prom, and wondering how her amazing boyfriend was going to ask her. She should be able to look forward to going to the Prom with her boyfriend, when the reality was that she probably wouldn’t even be able to reveal to him her identity. She was Ladybug, after all. She wasn’t just Multimouse, she was the Leader of Team Miraculous and the Guardian of the Miracle Box. Even after Hawkmoth was defeated, she needed to keep her identity under lock and key to protect the Miraculous. She wouldn’t even get to say a proper goodbye to Viperion, let alone find out his identity. Once the battle was over and the Miraculouses no longer needed, Tikki said that the Miracle Gems would return to her box on their own upon the holder's detransformation. Only her own would remain in place, because she was the Guardian._  


_“Why so pensive, Petit Souris?” The voice came from behind her but she didn’t flinch as she once might have. Instead, her shoulders sagged even more and tears pricked at her eyes. Viperion approached and sat down beside her, their thighs pressing together. She could feel his eyes burning into the side of her head as the first of her tears fell, followed quickly by more. “Hey, what’s the matter? Are you worried about tomorrow’s battle?”_  


_“Yes and no,” she whispered, the words sounding pained even to her own ears._  


_“You don’t have to worry about me, Souris. I’ll be fine, and I’ll have Ladybug and Chat, Rena and Carapace and even Queen Bee watching my back,” he promised, nudging her shoulder lightly._  


_“I know you’ll be fine, Viperion. You’re an amazing fighter and Ladybug and Chat will be lucky to have you on their team,” she said, shaking her head dejectedly._  


_“Then what’s the matter?” He questioned, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch as fresh tears spilled. “Please, Multimouse, tell me what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”_  


_“I don’t want to lose you,” she finally said, a sob bursting from her chest and wracking her small frame. She turned and all but threw herself into his chest, burying her face into his neck and clinging to him like he was her lifeline. His arms came around her slowly, holding her close to his chest and rocking her back and forth. It only seemed natural to start singing softly to her in his mother’s birth-tongue, Gaelic. He sang a lullaby his mother had once sung to him and Juleka when he was a kid, his voice soft but powerful in the still night air. Multimouse’s sobs eventually quieted to sniffles and whimpers and he pulled back slightly to look into her face._  


_“Feel better?” He asked, smiling slightly when she gave a small nod._  


_“I’m sorry,” she said, trying unsuccessfully to mop at the tears with her unabsorbant suit. Viperion took over, cupping her face and gently swiping them away with his thumbs before pressing a sweet kiss to her lips._  


_“You don’t have to be sorry, Petit Souris. I don’t want to lose you either,” he murmured, meeting her eyes. “Let’s reveal ourselves, right here and right now. Ladybug and Chat Noir never have to know, and we can meet up after the battle as Civilians,” he said. In his lap, Multimouse froze. It was so tempting. He didn’t know that she was also Ladybug, and it would be so easy to pretend that she was just a part time hero with no real battle experience, just an extra body to fill patrol spots while they tried to find Hawkmoth. He didn’t know she was Ladybug, she didn’t have to tell him that part. It was so tempting to say the words and yet…_  


_“I can’t,” she finally said, feeling the boy beneath her stiffen._  


_“Wh-what? But why-” he began, confusion and hurt evident in his voice._  


_“I can’t because… because I’m not just Multimouse. I’m Ladybug as well,” she admitted in a rush, suddenly tired with the lies that had surrounded her life for so long. It felt so good to do away with one of them._  


_“Wha- no,” he murmured, frowning. “No, that’s not-”_  


_“It’s true, Viperion. And because Master Fu made me the Guardian, my identity must remain a secret,” she explained, fighting against the tears that once again burned her retina._  


_“I see,” he said after what felt like an eternity. They didn’t say much else after that. They stayed in that position long into the night, occasionally stealing kisses but mostly just basking in their togetherness. It was only when the sky began to lighten, the streets of Paris beginning to awake below, that they reluctantly parted. Their limbs were stiff with cold but they barely noticed as they stood in awkward silence. Finally, Multimouse stepped up to the edge of Notre Dame, her jump rope tail curled like a whip in her hands._  


_“Goodbye, Viperion,” she whispered, pushing back her tears. She would cry again after the battle was over. For now, she would be strong and face the day head on and with Ladybug’s unyielding spirit._  


_“Wait!” Viperion suddenly moved, grabbing her arm and pulling her into him. She barely had time to breath in before his mouth claimed hers in a devastating kiss that left her knees weak and her heart in pieces at their feet. It seemed to last forever, while simultaneously seeming to end far too quickly. Viperion cupped her face in his hands and his yellow eyes were intense and desperate. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll be at the Lucky Lady Cafe at ten. I’ll wait for you there until the clock strikes noon,” he said, pressing one last kiss to her forehead. Then he was gone, and Multimouse was left staring after him with tears in her eyes and a heavy sorrow in her heart._

_The battle was as long as it was bloody. Hawkmoth fought like a man possessed, even after Mayura lost her Miraculous. Even still, Team Miraculous came out victorious in the end. Marinette landed on her balcony and slipped through her skylight before dropping her transformation. She was exhausted, her limbs ached like she had just run a thousand miles without stopping. She wanted to sleep, desperately, but first she had a job to do. Climbing slowly down from her bed, she dug the Miracle Box from the very depths of her closet and carried it over to her desk, hitting the series of spots that would open it up. The box opened, compartments sliding out to show the partially empty Miracle Box. She returned the Peacock and the Butterfly to their rightful places, then sat back to watch. It didn’t take long. The Bee appeared first, followed closely by the Fox and the Turtle. It would seem they detransformed together but then, they had known each other’s identities almost since the beginning. Next was the snake, and the sight of its bracelet left her feeling hollow inside. The black cat took a bit longer than the others, but it eventually appeared as well. Now, she only needed to put her earrings in and the Miracle Box would be complete._  


_Reaching up, she fingered the small black stones in her ears. They had been there for almost four years and while she wanted to complete her box once and for all, she wasn’t ready to part with them just yet. She couldn’t lose Tikki on the same day that she lost Chat Noir and Viperion. So she closed the box and stored it away in its hidden compartment once more. Stripping her clothing, the raven-haired girl finally gave in to her exhaustion and crawled up to her bed. Tikki was already fast asleep on her own pillow and Marinette was quick to join her in some much needed slumber._  


_When she woke the next morning, she still felt stiff and achy but that was to be expected. The Miracle Cure reversed most of the damage and the suit absorbed most blows but she had definitely pushed the limits as to how much the suit could protect her. Climbing from her bed, she went straight to the bathroom and took a shower, cranking the heat up as high as it could go. The hot water did wonders for her sore muscles, slowly working through the kinks and knots as she stood beneath the spray. Once she felt properly rejuvenated, she stepped out of the shower and returned to her bedroom to dry off and get dressed for the day. Tikki watched her as she got dressed in a soft gray dress that has a soft pink floral design on the skirt, and her pink flats. She left her hair down._  


_“Are you going to meet him? Viperion?” She asked, no judgment showing in her crystal clear blue eyes._  


_“I… I’m going to the cafe but I won’t let him see me and I won’t look for him. I’ll stay across the street and just… I just need to feel like I’m near him one last time, you know?” She asked, her own blue gaze meeting Tikki’s. The Kwami sighed and flitted up to pat her chosen on the nose._  


_“I would not judge you if you met up with him, Marinette. Hawkmoth is gone, and I know you love him,” she said gently. It was tempting but the ravenette shook her head._  


_“No, he knows I am Ladybug. No one can know my identity, Tikki. Not after we have finally gotten all of the Miraculouses back,” she decided. Tikki smiled sadly and nodded. Marinette had always tried to carry the weight of the world on her shoulder and even now she refused to share the burden with another. Zipping into her chosen’s purse, she nibbled on the cookie waiting for her and silently hoped Marinette would change her mind._  


_Marinette left home, waving goodbye to her parents and set off for the cafe that Viperion had named. Lucky Lady Cafe wasn’t super far away, about two miles. Certainly not a huge distance for someone who had spent the past few years leaping rooftops and battling monsters. It was a Ladybug themed Cafe, which she guessed was why he had chosen it. It was almost ten when the cafe came into view and she slowed considerably. The Cafe was overflowing with people as they celebrated the end of Hawkmoth’s reign. Was Viperion already here, waiting and hoping that she would show up? She stopped across the street and despite what she had told Tikki, she found her eyes scanning the crowd for anyone who might be the boy she had been dating for the better part of a year now._  


_The urge to cross the street, to enter the cafe and get a closer look at its patrons was nearly overwhelming but she resisted. She watched the cafe until the clock had struck ten, then she turned on her heels and walked away. She would always love Viperion, but this chapter of her life was over. She was graduating in a few months and then she would be going to University. She had a summer trip to Italy planned with Alya, Nino, Adrien and even Chloe who she had become surprisingly good friends with over the last year. Hawkmoth was gone and she had a whole life stretching out before her and while she wished Viperion could be a part of that life, she owed it to him to allow him to move on. She was tied to the Miracle Box forever, he didn’t have to be. So she left, head bowed and heart feeling like it was splintering into a million pieces, unaware of the ocean blue eyes watching her intensely from across the street._

  


The third time Marinette met Luka Couffaine, she turned and walked away without a word. She couldn’t deal with this, couldn’t deal with him no matter how much it shamed her to admit it. She could feel his gaze burning into her back long after she was out of his sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know what you think!


	4. Give Me Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Song, Gimme Love, belongs to Ed Sheeran but for the purpose of the fic, let's pretend Luka wrote it'
> 
> This chapter sucks imo but oh well. I may or may not go back in the morning, hate it, and decide to rewrite it but we will 
> 
> Either way I will try to have the final chapter up soon but going through some personal stuff that is having my depression spike into 'thoughts of self-harm' territory so it just depends on if I can muster up the muse

The next time that Marinette saw Luka was about two weeks later. He hadn’t come back into the coffee shop since she had ignored him the previous time, hiding out in the crew room until he had eventually given up. Barry had been curious, but he hadn’t pressed for questions and for that she was grateful. If she wasn’t ready to talk to Luka, she certainly wasn’t ready to talk to anyone else about him. Even if she was, she couldn’t because of the whole secret identity issue. Those two weeks passed in a blur of school, work, and commissions. Struggling to chase his endless blue eyes from her dreams, Marinette worked herself ragged. Her parents and her friends voiced their concerns, but she brushed them off. She was fine, she was just working through some personal stuff, no she didn’t want to talk about it but she appreciated the offer. They accepted her answers, more or less, but she could tell they were concerned and she hated herself for worrying them.

Alya was definitely more on the side of being less accepting of her offers. While her parents trusted her to come to them if she needed their guidance or advice, Alya could tell there was something fundamentally off with her best friend. Sure, Marinette had always been a particularly busy bee. But she rarely pushed herself quite so hard unless something was well and truly bothering her. And she did try to give Marinette her space because they were adults and she was trying to learn to be less pushy in her mannerisms. But at some point, enough was enough and it was her obligation as a best friend to step in and intervene. And since she didn’t know what the problem was and therefore couldn’t solve it, and since Marinette was being obnoxiously close-lipped over the entire thing, Alya decided that what her best friend needed was a night off. No work, no school assignments, no commissions. Just copious amounts of alcohol and good music. It wasn’t a cure all but hopefully it would get Marinette out of this funk.

With that in mind, Alya set her plan in action. She called up their friends, some of which they hadn’t seen since High School, and she explained the situation. Within a few hours, the College Francoise Dupont gang was set for an impromptu reunion and all Alya had to do was get Marinette out with them. She set it for that Saturday, roughly two weeks into Marinette’s… situation. Or whatever you wanted to call it. She knew for a fact her friend would be home, so she showed up on her best friend’s welcoming mat and knocked on the door. When it swung open to show her friend in ratty pajamas and a messy bun with two pencils stabbed through it and a bunch of pins clenched in her mouth, Alya determined that she had made the right choice. Her best friend was in dire need of intervention.

“Alya? What are you doing here?” She asked warily, voice slightly muffled around the pins as the taller girl strode purposefully into her living room. Alya spun on one foot and grinned at her best friend. It was a look, Marinette determined with some level of apprehension, that did not bode well for the girl.

“We,” Alya announced with a flourish, “are going out!” 

“Well, you have fun with that,” Marinette turned away pointedly, crossing the room to where a dress form sat with the beginnings of a gown taking shape around it.

“Nuh-uh, nice try. But you’re going with,” Alya said, her tone of voice saying that she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Marinette sighed as best she could around the pins clamped between her lips. Just because Alya was being stubborn didn’t mean Marinette was just going to give up without a fight.

“I can’t, Alys. I have commissions coming out of my ears, on top of schoolwork. Why don’t you go on a date? You know, with your boyfriend?” She asked expectantly. Alya looked extremely unimpressed.

“Alright, Mari. I hate to do this, but you’ve left me no choice,” she sighed, spreading her hands in a “what can you do” gesture.

“You wouldn’t,” Marinette turned away to glare at her best friend.

“I would and I am. I’m calling the best friend card,” she announced with a smirk. “And Rule 3 states you should never let your girl go out by herself.”

“I know the rules. I helped write the rules when we were fifteen,” Marinette said sourly, glaring at her. “You really wanna use your one Best Friend Card for the entire year on this,” she added dubiously, a last ditch effort to escape a night out. The last thing she wanted to do right now was take a break and risk thinking about Luka.

“Yup! So get dressed, Bitch, we’re going to Open Mic night!”

_Pretty in Pink_ always went all out for it’s Open Mic nights. The already low lights were turned out and the black lights were turned on. While they still offered their normal drinks, a pop-up bar was resurrected with various types of wine and a select few other types of alcohol for mixed drinks. The small stage set up on one wall had fairy lights over it, allowing those playing a bit more light to see by. Marinette had never been to an Open Mic night that she wasn’t working, so it was pretty different seeing it from the customer standpoint. She was equal parts surprised and unsurprised when they arrived to find basically the entirety of their original class back at Francoise Dupont filling the tables closest to the small dance area set up directly in front of the stage. A wry grin curved her lips as she glanced at an innocent looking Alya from the corner of her eye.

“You are seriously unbelievable. You do know that, don’t you?” She asked with a shake of her head. Alya’s grin was unabashed as she shrugged.

“Yes, but you love me.”

“I do. I do love you,” Marinette agreed with an exaggerated sigh. The pair held each other’s gazes for another moment before dissolving into giggles. This was enough to alert the group to their arrival, everyone turning and raising their glass as they greeted the two girls. It felt fantastic being surrounded by her former classmates. Many of them she hadn’t seen in years. Rose and Juleka have only just returned to France from spending a few months in Achu doing charity work with Prince Ali; Alix and Kim owned and operated a Gym across town that was rapidly gaining popularity and they were often busy there as personal trainers. Max was working for the government, doing some huge top secret project, while Nathaniel and his Fiancee, Marc, were about to publish their first Comicbook. Even Chloe and Sabrina had been busy bees, as they took over Le Grand Paris and brought the dated hotel into the current century. Marinette was ushered to a table that was directly in front of the stage, where Alya’s boyfriend Nino was sitting beside a man with a very familiar mop of blond hair.

“Adrien!” She called, genuine excitement finally filling her as familiar green eyes met her blue ones. Grinning widely, the man rose and enveloped her in a hug as she all but leapt into his arms. She and Adrien had formed a surprisingly close friendship after she had given up on him ever returning her romantic feelings. She has been there at his dad’s trial, his mom’s funeral, and the weeks of misery afterward when he had pushed everyone away. When he had tried to push her away as well. She had been stubborn though, refusing to leave even when he yelled and cursed her name. A part of her would always love Adrien, but she had given her very soul to another back in High School, and she knew she would never be able to love anyone quite as intensely as she had loved Viperion.

“Mari! How are you? Alya says you haven’t been yourself lately. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you not eating enough?You feel really thin. Should I call Mom and tell her she needs to be sending home more pastries?” He pressed once he had set her back down and looked her over. He had started calling her parents Mom and Dad about six months into living with them after his father had been arrested. He had lived with them for a year before moving into his own place but he still thought of her parents as his own.

“Okay, okay, stop mothering me, Adrien,” she stepped back and shook her head in exasperation. “I’m fine, you know Alya exaggerates.”

“True,” Adrien allowed, both of them ignoring Alya’s indignant sputtering in the background as Nino patted her back comfortingly. “Still, I worry. You’re my best friend!” Now it was Nino’s turn to sputter in disbelief, causing the pair to laugh.

“I know you do, and I appreciate it but I’m fine. Just some things I have to work about. What about you, though? How is Kagami?” She asked, changing the subject. The way Adrien lit up at the mention of his Fiancee made her smile fondly. They had gotten together not long after Adrien started calling her parents Mom and Dad and had been going strong ever since. They were welcoming their first baby girl into the world in a few months and Kagami was visiting her family in Japan before she couldn’t fly anymore.

“She is great! We are thinking of naming the baby Ryuko,” he said with a fond smile. Marinette smiled at the reference to Kagami’s old hero-self. She hadn’t gotten to be Ryuko often because she had revealed herself in battle, but she had made a great heroine regardless.

“That’s wonderful, Adrien. I can’t wait to meet my Goddaughter!” She responded happily. They fell into easy chatter as they ordered drinks and half listened to a few acts that went up. Some were great. Others, not so much. Still, it was a fun night and it felt good to catch up with old friends and bask in the easy camaraderie. Maybe Alya was right, and she had only needed to get out of the house. Maybe this was just what she needed to get Viperion, to get Luka out of her-

“Hey,” the deep, smooth voice stopped her train of thought dead in its tracks, back going ramrod straight as her fingers clenched her glass hard enough to turn white. “My name is Luka Couffaine. I’ll be singing an original song that, if all goes well will answer a few questions for a special lady in the audience tonight,” he added.

Marinette didn’t want to look up but Alya’s semi-aggressive nudging brooked no argument. Lifting her gaze, she found Luka’s blue gaze drilling into hers with an intensity that had her throat catching in her lungs. There was absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind who he was talking about and if she wasn’t so trapped in his gaze she would be sinking lower in her seat. Beside her, Alya grabbed her arm and leaned close to whisper in her ear.

“Girl! You’ve been holding out on me. Who is that hottie, what questions is he trying to answer?” She hissed. Marinette shook her off and frowned at her, jaw clenched in determination.

“I have no idea what he’s talking about. I need to go,” she lied, trying to rise. Alya’s vise like grip prevented her from getting up.

“Nuh-uh, this is the scoop of a lifetime. You’re staying put,” she said firmly. Before Marinette could protest further, the lights went down until only a single spotlight illuminated Luka. Others were going to play with him in the background, but he was the sole focus of everyone in the room. Including her. The music began seconds later, and despite her best efforts Marinette could feel her gaze being drawn to the musician on the stage. 

_**Give me love like her** _   
_**'Cause lately I've been waking up alone** _   
_**Paint splattered teardrops on my shirt** _   
_**Told you I'd let them go** _

She had forgotten how hypnotising his voice was when he sang. Viperion had never sang to her like this, with the lights and the stage, with a real guitar and backup musicians, but he was no less amazing. There was just something about his voice, the way the words rolled off his tongue to assault her ears in the sweetest of ways, the way the melody wrapped around her and made her heartbeat quicken. She was being drawn back in, she could feel it and yet she was powerless to resist no matter how hard she tried.

_**And that I'll fight my corner** _   
_**Maybe tonight I'll call ya** _   
_**After my blood turns into alcohol** _   
_**No, I just wanna hold ya** _

His eyes lifted on that last line, gaze clashing like hers and suddenly it didn’t matter as much that his eyes were blue instead of yellow, or that he didn’t have a mask on and he was wearing a skintight black shirt and hip-hugging skinny jeans instead of a scaled Supersuit. 

_**Give a little time to me or burn this out** _   
_**We'll play hide and seek to turn this around** _   
_**All I want is the taste that your lips allow** _   
_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love** _   
_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love** _   
_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love** _   
_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love** _   
_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love** _

Luka suddenly rose to his feet, walking down the few steps at the front of the stage and coming to stand directly in front of her. His fingers never once faltered on the strings and his gaze never wavered as he took a knee before her. She could distantly hear the squeals of several of her former classmates, like Rose and Mylene, maybe Alya, but she was entranced. His gaze was even more intensely blue up close and from this close she could see little flecks of gray among the ocean blue irises.

_**Give me love like never before** _   
_**'Cause lately I've been craving more** _   
_**And it's been a while but I still feel the same** _   
_**Maybe I should let you go** _   
_**You know I'll fight my corner** _   
_**And that tonight I'll call ya** _   
_**After my blood is drowning in alcohol** _   
_**No I just wanna hold ya** _   
_**Give a little time to me or burn this out** _   
_**We'll play hide and seek to turn this around** _   
_**All I want is the taste that your lips allow** _   
_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love** _   
_**Give a little time to me, or burn this out** _   
_**We'll play hide and seek to turn this around** _   
_**All I want is the taste that your lips allow** _   
_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love** _   
_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love** _   
_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love** _   
_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love** _   
_**My my, my, my, oh give me love** _

She could see it now. She hadn’t before, or perhaps more accurately she hadn’t wanted to. Sure the hair and the build and the complexion were similar, but it was more than that. Now that she was looking, really looking, she could see that the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled that same, dopey grin he always got when staring into her eyes for an extended period of time was one and the same. The way his lips curled up at the edges oh-so-subtly when he sang, the way his nose wrinkled slightly as he focused on the notes and how they flowed together. It was mostly in the way he looked at her, that earth-shattering and all-consuming love that really convinced her. Only one person had ever looked at her as if she held the Sun, the Moon, and all the Stars in the Universe in her hands.

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, love x12**_  
 _ **M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover (love me, love me, love me)**_  
 _ **M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover (give me love)**_  
 _ **M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover (give me love)**_  
 _ **My, my, my, my, oh give me love**_  
 _ **My, my, my, my, oh give me love**_  
 _ **My, my, my, my, oh give me love**_  
 _ **My, my, my, my, oh give me love**_  


Marinette wasn’t entirely sure whether she wanted to run away or throw her arms around the guitarist, all of her watching friends be damned. On the one hand, she longed to put the past years behind her and reclaim what the Miracle Box had cost her so long ago. Luka knew. He knew and there was no going back or changing the past. What was done was done and she could deny it all she wanted but that wouldn’t make it disappear. The other part of her was petrified of taking that first step. She had broken up with him, refusing to even consider the alternative and a part of her was still convinced that Viperion, Luka, could never forgive her for that. But he was here, and he had just bared his soul to her in front of a bunch of strangers and she knew she had to make a decision. She just didn’t know how. Perhaps guessing as much, Luka smiled softly and gave an almost imperceptible nod. He understood. Not here, not now, but soon. His hand brushed hers, a reassurance? No, he was pressing a piece of paper into her hand. Her fingers automatically closed around it as he rose, sent her one last wink, and then he was gone as quickly as he had come.

Later, when Marinette had returned home after a long night of dodging and evading questions, she would look at the note and realize it wasn’t a note at all. It was an address. The meaning was clear, even if she hadn’t been with him for years. Luka was leaving the next move up to her. If she took it, they could talk, reconcile, maybe return to the way things were before. If she didn’t, she had no doubt this was the last time Luka Couffaine would seek her out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know what you think!


	5. I Was Made For Loving You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided that there will be an Epilogue

It had been over a year since Marinette had pulled out her Miracle Box, since she had said her goodbyes and retired Tikki. She had worked hard to help Marinette defeat Hawkmoth, lending her powers that most Ladybugs had never been strong enough to harness, and she had certainly earned a break. She deserved to enjoy some time with her friends, with Plagg, in the world of the Kwamis. Grazing her fingers over the glossy red and black surface, she felt a wave of nostalgia clog her throat and make it hard to breath. So many memories, both good and bad, were associated with this box and it’s contents and it was with no small effort that she pushed those memories to the back of her mind. She would sort through them later, when she was better prepared for the cornucopia worth of feelings associated with those memories. Her hand shook as she hit the series of spots that would give her access to the contents of the box, watched the many compartments slide out revealing the sparkling Miraculous Gems. 

At the center of the box, the earrings of the Ladybug and the ring of the Black Cat seemed to sparkle even in the low light. Her fingers itched to reach out and take the earrings, to don them and see her tiny companion once more. As if sensing her presence, the earrings seemed to glow brighter as if urging her to take them. But she wasn’t here for those, and though she knew she would eventually have to apologize and offer a million cookies to Tikki as she begged her forgiveness, it was the Miraculous of the Mouse that Marinette grabbed and fastened around her neck. A blinding light zipped through the room before Mullo, the Kwami of Multiplication, appeared before her.

“Hello, Miss Marinette! What a pleasant surprise,” Mullo squeaked, twirling around happily. She smiled softly at the Mouse Kwami in response.

“Hello, Mullo. I’m sorry for calling upon you so suddenly, but I was hoping you’d be willing to lend me your power really quick,” she said with a small smile. The Kwami beamed, ears and tail flicking while his nose twitched.

“Of course! You know the words, Miss Marinette!” He said enthusiastically. She grinned and grabbed one last Miraculous, sliding it into her pocket before standing up.

“Mullo, let’s get squeaky!”

The transformation washed over her, simultaneously familiar and foreign. It felt strange to go through the movements that she had done dozens of times before, particularly after so long, and yet it also felt incredibly right. When she was fully transformed, she looked down at herself and found that not much had changed with her outfit. Her tail was a bit longer and there was a bit more pink, but the rest of her outfit was the same including the buns atop her head. Unwrapping her jump rope tail, she left her bedroom and headed for the small balcony that was attached to her modest two bedroom apartment. She only paused to grab one more item before she flicked out her tail and swung away.

  
Ten minutes later found Multimouse standing on the apartment building of one Luka Couffaine. Most of the windows were dark. It was, after all, two in the morning. She probably could have waited but she hadn’t wanted to waste anymore time and besides, Viperion had always been a night owl. She had no doubt that Luka was still awake. Also, she didn’t want anyone to see one of Paris’ former heroes running around lest it start a panic. It wasn’t hard to pinpoint which balcony was his after double checking the address, and she lowered herself carefully down until she was staring into an almost pitch black apartment. The only light came from above the stove and she briefly worried that she was wrong and he was asleep. She was about to chicken out and come back tomorrow night when a light suddenly spilled from the hall and Luka padded into view. Her mouth immediately went dry.

She had known Viperion was ripped, had noticed Luka had mostly maintained that hero physique, but nothing could prepare her for a wet Luka Couffaine in loose sweats and no shirt. She must have made some sort of sound, because he suddenly looked towards her and blinked in surprise. After a moment he moved to open the sliding glass door and Multimouse found herself taking an involuntary step back, the urge to flee nearly overwhelming her. Luka’s gaze searched hers, seeming just as lost for words as she was, but he still managed to recover first.

“Hey,” he said softly, a faint smile curving his lips. Multimouse tore her gaze from his bare chest and looked up, finding apprehension and a hint of fear in his gaze. He was just as nervous as she was, she realized with a start.

“H-hi,” she squeaked, wincing at how much she suddenly sounded like a mouse. 

“You wanna come in?” He asked, and she found herself nodding mutely because she didn’t trust herself to speak at the moment. Luka seemed to understand this and he stepped back to wave her through the balcony door. She did so and he closed the door behind them before pressing a hand to the small of her back and guided her through the darkness. His hand seemed to brand her wherever it touched and she wanted to melt into his embrace but she couldn’t. Not yet. Luka brought her past the source of light, the bathroom she now realized, and into his bedroom where he urged her to take a seat on the bed before disappearing into his walk in closet. He returned moments later and she was a bit disappointed that he had donned a shirt, not that she would admit that. Luka crossed the room, hesitating to ensure she was comfortable with their sudden proximity before he took the spot on the bed next to her.

“So,” he said, trailing off as he sought something to say.

“So,” Multimouse echoed softly, blue eyes sparkling with a hint of mirth as they met his own. His answering smile was a touch relieved.

“Can I see you? The real you?” He asked, and the girl swallowed nervously before shaking her head.

“Not… not yet. I need a moment and I just… I wanted to do something but if I’m just me, I don’t think I’ll be brave enough,” she explained softly. Luka nodded, his gaze soft and understanding even if he was a little disappointed.

“Does it have something to do with that?” He nodded to the item strapped to her back and she smiled shyly as she reached to pull it into her lap. The acoustic guitar wasn’t anything special, but it was her first and the one she had learned on so it held a special place in her heart. Dark pink on the edges and baby pink at the center, it was embellished with rhinestone ladybugs as a sort of tribute to her past life.

“I didn’t know you played, Petit Souris,” Luka smiled curiously, the nickname rolling off his tongue like it was the most natural thing in the world. Multimouse blushed and gave an awkward shrug.

“I don’t, not really. Or at least, not well. But I’ve learned a few songs,” she said, fingers fidgeting on the strings and making a few cords ring out in the otherwise still apartment air.

“I’m flattered,” he said with a wide grin, and the girl had to drop her gaze to the guitar lest her heart explode with all the pent up feelings she was trying to keep locked inside.

“I just thought that since you sang to me, I should return the favor and maybe answer a few of your questions in the process?” She said nervously. Luka nodded and Multimouse took a deep breath. She wasn’t great, but this was one of her favorite songs and it had made her think of Viperion long before she had ever met Luka Couffaine, so she was fairly well-versed with the song. She had just never played in front of an audience before, even if that audience was only one person. Still, Luka had bared his heart and soul and she owed it to him to do the same. Her fingers began to dance over the strings. She wasn’t as experienced as Luka, so she kept her eyes trained on them even as she started to sing.

_A dangerous plan, just this time_  
_A stranger's hand clutched in mine_  
_I'll take this chance, so call me blind_  
_I've been waiting all my life_  
_Please don't scar this young heart_  
_Just take my hand_

She chanced a look up before she launched into the chorus, part of her scared of what she might find there. She wasn’t the best singer, though Alya swore she had a sweet voice when she sang, nor was she a very accomplished guitarist. The notes came out sounding okay to her ears, but she was pretty sure she had hit at least one cord she shouldn’t have and the song as a whole was in no way executed perfectly. Luka didn’t appear to mind, however, if the sweet smile on his lips and the affectionate glow in his eyes was any indication.  


_I was made for loving you_  
_Even though we may be hopeless hearts just passing through_  
_Every bone screaming (I don't know what we should do)_  
_All I know is, darling, I was made for loving you_

That soft look was having quite the effect on her, she wouldn’t lie. Nothing could have prepared her for Luka joining in on the song. It was a duet but she had been intending on singing it solo. Viperion had always spoken of rock and indie music when they had discussed their favorite artists, songs, and what inspired him when he played. A song from Ed Sheeran and Tori Kelly wasn’t something she would imagine that he would listen to, let alone know the lyrics of, but his voice never wavered in its confidence as he sang the lyrics.

**Hold me close**  
**Through the night**  
**Don't let me go, we'll be alright**  
**Touch my soul and hold it tight**  
**I've been waiting all my life**  
**I won't scar your young heart**  
**Just take my hand**

She could feel the burn of tears at the back of her eyes, the sudden way her lungs contracted and made it difficult to breath as her heart swelled as every ounce of love she had ever felt for this man came flooding back. How had she managed to leave him back then? How could she have ever been stupid enough to think she could just walk away, move on with her life as if he had never happened? As if he didn’t own her, heart, body, mind, and soul? How could she ever have tricked herself into believing herself capable of moving on? The feelings were overwhelming. They rose and crashed through her like the ocean during a hurricane. They overtook every fiber of her entire being, cementing the fact that she would never be able to walk away again… and she was honestly okay with that. She didn’t even want to spend one more second away from this beautiful man as their voices joined together in harmony, their perfect melody.

  
**_Cause I was made for loving you_**  
**_Even though we may be hopeless hearts just passing through_**  
**_Every bone screaming I don't know what we should do_**  
**_All I know is, darling, I was made for loving you_**  
**_Please don't go, I've been waiting so long_**  
**_Oh, you don't even know me at all_**  
**_But I was made for loving you_**

  
Luka’s fingers reached out to brush against her cheek softly, reverently, and his thumb swiped under one eye catching her tears before they fell. It had been so long since she had felt this all-encompassing warmth that came from loving someone and being loved in return and her tears only seemed to fall faster as they finished out the song.

  
_**I was made for loving you**_  
_**Even though we may be hopeless hearts just passing through**_  
_**Every bone screaming I don't know what we should do**_  
_**All I know is, darling, I was made for loving you**_  


When the final cords had faded, Multimouse took a shaky breath and slowly set the guitar off to the side. Luka’s fingers were still on her face, tracing the constellation of freckles that her mask didn’t hide and knowing that many more lay hidden from view as well. There was a look on his face that she couldn’t quite place, something open and vulnerable and adoring. He looked… enraptured. The silence stretched but it wasn’t uncomfortable as they basked in the glow of their togetherness but finally, Luka broke it, voice tinged with a note of desperation.

“Please, _Ma Petit Souris_. I need to see you,” he begged. She didn’t have the heart to tell him no another time. She whispered the words softly, almost afraid that speaking them too loudly would break the spell they were under. She didn’t see where Mullo rushed off to, though she supposed he was giving them some much needed privacy. Luka’s breath shuddered out in a long, low gush as his eyes searched hers. A year down the line, as Marinette and Luka stood together on their wedding day and thanked their friends and family for coming, they wouldn’t be able to tell you who moved first. All they knew was that one moment they were staring into each other’s eyes, basking in the wonder of this newfound knowledge, and the next she was in his lap and her hands were framing his face while his arms were like a steel band around her waist. Their lips clashed together, and while it was by no means their first kiss it held more meaning and more promise than any of their other kisses combined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let Me Know What You Think!


	6. Epilogue: Say You Won't Let Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF. We are done. On the one hand I am so happy with how well this story flowed. On the other hand, I can't believe it's over! Please Subscribe to me or the series as I will likely be adding a Prelude Story that will show the story of Viperion and Multimouse falling in love 
> 
> SONG LIST:  
> Not Another Song About Love - Hollywood Endings | Not entirely accurate song but it is about two people who try to resist falling in love but can't quite stop their feelings so it kinda summed up Marinette's unwanted attraction to Luka when they first met.
> 
> In Case You Didn't Know - Brett Young | While this chapter is Marinette POV, this song sums up Luka's hidden feelings for Marinette fairly well as he knows her identity but she is still unaware of it.
> 
> Paper Hearts - Tori Kelly | A bittersweet and beautiful song that perfectly sums up the feelings her memories might instill in Marinette.
> 
> Gimme Love - Ed Sheeran | A song that perfectly sums up how Luka feels having lost Marinette once and desperate for her to give him one more chance.
> 
> I Was Made For Loving You - Ed Sheeran + Tori Kelly | A sweet song about two souls that were destined to fall in love, which is basically the whole tone intended for this story.
> 
> Just Say You Won't Let Go - James Arthur | An excellent Song to end the story, because it says a lot about how their relationship has gone. In the years between the last chapter and this, Luka and Marinette have had a lot of ups and downs and there were times when it almost broke them. But now their relationship is stronger than ever, because they refused to let go even when times got tough.

“Here, let me get your door,” Luka Couffaine offered, getting out of the car and rushing around to open the door for his heavily pregnant wife. He extended a hand, grasping both the hand she placed in his and her elbow as he supported her out of the car. He seemed oblivious to the vaguely annoyed expression on Marinette’s face as he helped her up the curb and finally released her to open the back door as well.

“Luka, I am pregnant. I am not an invalid, you don’t have to fuss. It isn’t as if we haven’t done this before,” she scolded lightly, looking pointedly at the two little girls scrambling out of the back seat. The older of the two, six year old Mélodie Rose Couffaine, came first. She was almost a spitting image of her mother, blue-black hair, light bluebell eyes, and fair skin covered in freckles. Four year old Harmonie Grace Couffaine came nex, her long jet black hair tipped in hot pink as it fell in unruly curls around an olive-toned face and her father’s deeper blue gaze. Even though she was two years younger, she was nearly as tall as Mélodie, the older girl clearly having inherited her mother’s physique as well, while the younger would likely be as tall as her father and her Auntie Juleka.

“I am not fussing, Souris,” Luka denied immediately, even as he returned to her side the moment the car doors were all shut and locked, wrapping one arm around her waist and grabbing her hand with the other. “Besides, this isn’t like the other times. You’re having twins, Mari. You need to be taking it easy,” he added with a slight frown.

“You are fussing and might I point out that many women have successfully given birth to twins, even without the luck of a Ladybug,” she said, fingering the earrings that she had returned to her ears not long after getting back together with Luka. The man in question looked like he wanted to argue further but they had already reached the back staircase at her parents, one which led directly to their apartment without having to enter through the unoccupied bakery. Luka settled for helping her up the steps and she was relieved that he wasn’t trying to carry her like he had done whenever they had visited while she was pregnant with Mélodie and Harmonie. The two girls had beat them up the steps, so by the time they reached the door it was already open.

“Marinette, Luka! We’re so glad you could make it,” Sabine Cheng ushered them in, and though she would never admit it, Marinette was grateful when she was able to sink down onto the couch and off her swollen and aching feet.

“Yé Ye, Nǎi Nai, we made snowmen today! And Papa showed us how to make snow angels, and Maman threw a snowball right in his face!” Mélodie exclaimed, wrapping her arms around one of Tom Dupain’s legs and beaming up at him.

“Papa said we couldn’t throw snowballs at Maman cuz she’s carrying our brothers,” Harmonie added sagely from where she was wrapped around Tom’s other leg. The boisterous man let out a booming laugh as he scooped up both girls and cuddled them close.

“And he is absolutely right! Are you excited to meet your brothers, then?” He asked gleefully. If fatherhood had suited Tom Dupain well, being a Grandparent made him shine even brighter and he adored playing with the girls. He had been more than a little thrilled when Marinette and Luka welcomed Mélodie into the world less than a year after their wedding, and had been there right alongside Sabine as they awaited the arrival of Harmonie. When he found out Marinette and Luka were having twins, he had practically exploded with excitement and Marinette was fairly sure that all of their regulars found out about the news within a week of her breaking it to the family.

“Have you picked out names, dears?” Sabine settled onto the couch and handed her daughter a cup of tea, a special herbal blend that was good for expecting women.

“We are thinking of Colin and Louis,” Luka supplied, taking a seat on the arm of the chair closest to Marinette and smiling at his mother-in-law. “Colin was my father’s name, and when Marinette told me she had always imagined she would have a little boy named Louis, I really liked the name.”

And it’s a right fine name, it is!” Anarka Couffaine said by way of greeting as she breezed into the Dupain-Cheng household, followed closely by Luka’s sister and her wife. Sabine smiled warmly. She and Anarka had become close friends during the wedding preparations and the pair immediately moved into the kitchen, no doubt already planning on how they would take over Nursery decoration duties. They had tried to do the same thing for the girls. Meanwhile, Juleka and Rose joined them on the couch.

“I can’t wait to meet them! When is your due date?” Rose gushed excitedly. Some things never changed and she was as bubbly as ever, while Juleka retained her subdued nature.

“Valentines Day,” Marinette said with a grin, while Rose squealed about how romantic that was. They didn’t have kids yet, though they were in the process of looking into adoption. Adrien and Kagami arrived next, along with their seven year old daughter, Ryuko. The girl was a beautiful mix of her parents, with her mother’s dark hair and her father’s striking green eyes and fair skin. Then came Alya and Nino, along with their two year old, Matheo. Mélodie immediately stole the two year old; she absolutely adored babies and was eager to play with him while Ryuko and Harmonie chased each other around the living room. Chloe Bourgeois was the last to arrive, along with Nathaniel Kurtzberg. The surprising couple had been going strong for two years now, and Adrien had told Marinette that Nathaniel was planning to propose on New Years Eve. Marinette could hardly hold her tongue about the whole thing.

With everyone finally here, dinner was served and Marinette basked in the happy glow of being together with her family and friends and eating excellent food. It was Christmas Eve, tomorrow she would be sitting around her own tree in her own house with just her, her husband, and their two amazing daughters. In a matter of weeks, they would be welcoming their two new sons into the family, and their perfect little family would get a little bit bigger and a little bit more perfect. As dishes were put away and presents passed out, Marinette leaned into Luka and looked up at him. His eyes met hers, that same adoring smile on his face that she had been privy to every day for the last eight years.

“I love you, _Mon Beau Serpent_ ,” she said softly, smiling up at him warmly. Leaning down, Luka kissed her gently, whispering his reply against her soft lips.

“And I love you, _Ma Petit Souris_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let Me Know What You Think!

**Author's Note:**

> Let Me Know What You Think!


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